


Paint Chips and Ice Cream

by AuroraShard



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Adopted Children, Clintasha - Freeform, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Kid Fic, Planned Pregnancy, Pregnancy, Prompt Fill, a bit of sadness and anxiety in the middle there but it's all okay in the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:54:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22722019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuroraShard/pseuds/AuroraShard
Summary: Tumblr prompt fill; Clint and Natasha have an adopted daughter, who gets worried and sad when she finds out Natasha is pregnant. Natasha catches on, and assures her that they will always love her. Happy endings all around!
Relationships: Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov
Comments: 6
Kudos: 27





	Paint Chips and Ice Cream

**Author's Note:**

> This was a prompt fill from an anon on Tumblr: https://aurorashard.tumblr.com/post/171345870906/well-if-youd-like-i-have-something-you-could . Prompt text from a Tumblr anon reads: "Well if you’d like I have something you could write! A fic where Clint x Natasha have a daughter who is like 6/7 and they adopted her as a baby. She knows she’s adopted so when Nat naturally gets pregnant, she’s worried they won’t want her anymore because they’ll have their own baby. Natasha catches on after a few days of her daughter being quiet and sad and tucks her into bed promising that she’ll always be their little girl and they love her. :)"
> 
> Enjoy!

Clint cradled Natasha in his arms for a moment before Natasha straightened.

"Lillian, come here for a minute, we have to talk with you about something important." She fidgeted with the ring on her finger while they waited for Lillian to appear. She trundled into the room, a cowboy hat crooked on her head. She cradled a spotted horse stuffed animal to her chest, and a pair of small binoculars poked out from the oversized flannel shirt she wore.

"Going on an adventure there, kiddo?" Clint said with a chuckle as she wiggled between them onto the couch. He and Natasha both shifted to avoid her hat. She smiled up at them both, showing off a gap from a recently lost tooth.

"Yeah! We found a big stream so we can catch fish and there's lots of berries, too! Can we get blueberries at the store tomorrow?" She asked, taking off her hat. "Can you fix my hair momma?" Natasha smiled,

"Of course, turn a little for me. And we can certainly get blueberries." She set aside the cowboy hat and started brushing out Lillian's hair.

"We could even make blueberry muffins, too." Clint said with a smile.

"So we wanted to talk to you about something, Lillian." Natasha said softly, starting to re-braid her hair. "When I went to the doctor's today, I found out that I'm pregnant. That means I'm going to have a baby." She paused in her braiding as Lillian stiffened a little. 

"A baby? Why?" She half turned to look up at Natasha.

"Clint and I have wanted to have a baby for a while. We were so happy to adopt you, too, and we always planned on having a couple of kids. In a few months, you'll have a younger sibling." Clint smiled,

"They will stay in our room for a bit, and then they will have their own room, just like you do. It will be busy for a while, but you can play with them and help us teach them about all the things you liked to do when you were little." Clint smiled fondly, reaching out to pat Lillian's leg.

"Will they go to school with me? Will I have to change diapers?" Her face wrinkled with disgust. Natasha laughed, looping her hair tie around the end of Lillian's braid.

"They won't go to school until they're about your age. And you won't have to change diapers if you don't want to. We would like to teach you how just in case. We may need your help sometimes, but we don't want you to have to do our jobs." She said, returning the cowboy hat. Lillian fidgeted with it. 

"Will we still play and stuff?" She said quietly, not meeting her parents' eyes. She pressed her stuffed horse to her chest. Clint nodded.

"Of course. We may not get to as often as we do now, because babies need a lot of care and help. Remember that time last year when you were really sick? We had to help you do a lot of things. That's kind of what it's like to take care of a baby. They can't talk at first, and everything is new and scary. And they can't walk at first, either. So we need to help them eat and put on clothes and things." 

Clint offered his hand to Lillian, laying it palm up on his leg. She gingerly rested her tiny hand in his, and he rubbed the back of her hand soothingly. Natasha did the same, and Lillian rested her other hand in hers.

"When we moved, remember how lots of things were new to you? It's just like that for the baby, but with all sorts of things we are used to doing. Every food is new, every animal or place or person. It's overwhelming, just like when one of us gets nervous at the store or with new people. So we will still do what we do now, but it may take us longer, or be a little harder at first. But we will make sure that we still have fun. And you can always talk to dad or I about how you're feeling. Or Dr. Hale, too. She can help you understand how you're feeling." Lillian nodded, pulling her parents forward so they could all hug.

"Okay. I have to see Dr. Hale soon, right?" She asked. Clint nodded.

"You have an appointment next Friday. And you don't have to see her if you don't want to. But it can be helpful to talk to someone about your feelings." She nodded. 

"I like her, she's nice. What's for dinner?" Lillian asked, putting her hat back on. Clint smiled.

"Creamy chicken and rice soup. Do you want to help?" Lillian jumped off the couch.

"Nope! We gotta go build our cabin." She scurried off as Clint and Natasha laughed. When they could hear her playing again, they embraced. Clint pressed a soft kiss to Natasha's hair.

"I think that went okay. I'm surprised she didn't have more questions. I'm glad we talked about babies and stuff before, though." Natasha huffed out a laugh.

"Yeah. I was so worried. It's a relief that she knows. Want help with the soup?" She said, rising slowly and offering Clint a hand.

"From you? Always."

\--

A few days later, Lillian was quiet as she looked over paint swatch displays. Clint held up a few shades of green and purple.

"Which do you like best, sweetheart?" He said, crouching so he was at Lillian's level. She shrugged. 

"I 'unno. The green there is okay I guess." She pointed to the pale green Clint had. He smiled.

"Good choice, I like that one, too. Oh, there's Momma." He said as Natasha came around the corner, holding up some more swatches. 

"I'm getting pretty tired, I think we should go get ice cream. How does that sound?" Clint and Lillian both lit up.

"Ice cream!" Lillian said, holding her arms up. Natasha passed off her swatches to Clint and scooped her up onto her back to give her a piggyback ride.

"I can't carry you too long, but how about to the front of the store, okay?" Lillian nodded. 

"Can we watch a movie when we get home? Maybe the one with the zebra?" She asked quietly. Clint tucked the paint chips into his pocket.

"Sure, kiddo. Where do we want to go for ice cream?" He asked as they headed out into the warm spring sun. Lillian grabbed Clint's hand once Natasha set her down on the sidewalk. "Good street safety kiddo." He said with a thumbs up.

"We could stop by the one by the mini golf place, it's right on our way back." Natasha said as they all walked to their car. Lillian skipped along, humming in agreement. 

"Sounds like a plan!" Clint said.

\--  
That night, Lillian was quiet through dinner, and hurried to her room after she helped clean up. Natasha watched her scurry off before turning to help Clint finish loading the dishwasher. She chewed her lip as she loaded the plates and silverware, and she caught Clint watching her out of the corner of her eye as he scrubbed the pans in the sink. She frowned, dropping his gaze. 

They continued to tidy up in relative silence, Clint humming softly and Lillian playing in her room down the hall. Natasha continued to worry at her lip, and Clint graciously pretended not to notice. 

After she washed up she headed to the couch, curling up under the blanket there. She cocooned herself, fidgeting with the ring on her finger and staring at the pile of paint swatches on the coffee table. She was distantly aware of Clint finishing up in the kitchen, and she startled a bit when he joined her on the couch. He tucked himself under the other side of the oversized blanket and gave her a soft smile, nodding towards his side in a silent invitation. She thought for a moment before joining him, and he pulled her close and rested his arm protectively on her shoulder. She nestled against his chest and they sat together in silence for a few minutes.

"Lillian has been so… quiet lately. I'm just worried. I mean, I assume it's because of the baby, but. What if it's something else? What if I did something wrong?" She whispered, pressed tight to Clint's side. He hummed thoughtfully, leaning down to kiss her gently.

"I'm no mind reader, but I think it's likely the new baby. She's acted this way before with other big changes, like when she started at the new school. Dr. Hale has been great, but she's still a kid. Big emotions are hard to work through. Heck, we both have trouble verbalizing that stuff, too. Why don't you go talk to her, ask her what's wrong? Tell her you're concerned, and remind her she can always come to us, even if she thinks we won't like what she has to say." He smiled. "I'll give you guys some space, but I'm happy to help." She nodded up at him, relieved.

"That's true. I got so caught up I guess I didn't think about how she had reacted before. And I think I'll talk to her. I'll call you if I need anything." She ran her hand along his jaw and twisted to kiss him. With a final encouraging smile, Clint shooed her towards Lillian's room. She grabbed Clint's flannel from that afternoon off the chair and shrugged it on, sticking her tongue out at Clint when he pouted.

She paused outside the brightly colored room, focusing on her breathing for a moment and then watching Lillian as she set up some kind of elaborate block structure. Natasha knocked quietly on the doorframe.

"Hey sweetheart, mind if I join you?" Lillian slowly stacked a block before looking up.

"Yeah. We're making our cabin. You can help add the chimney." Natasha smiled and settled on the floor next to Lillian.

"Alright, this looks great, I love all the colors. How can I help?"

They played together for a few minutes, Natasha following Lillian's instructions on how to assemble the chimney for her cabin. They marched toy horses and people around the cabin, marveling at its craftsmanship and colors.

"Why, this is the best cabin I have ever seen!" Lillian said dramatically, waving her doll to and fro. "I can't believe my horses and I get to live here!" Natasha laughed.

"And it has room for all your horses!" She chimed in in a gruff voice, marching her action figure over to the cabin. "Where would you like your bead collection?" She wiggled a small box of beads over near her action figure.

"Right in the middle. Thank you!" Natasha dutifully maneuvered the box into the middle of the cabin. She smiled over at Lillian, who beamed back.

"I'm gonna miss hanging out momma." She said suddenly, looking down at the doll in her hands. Natasha stilled, gently setting the action figure down.

"What do you mean, hun?" She said, sitting up. Lillian grabbed her stuffed horse and curled around it.

"Well when you have the baby you won't need me. We won't get to play much anymore. You'll have them to play with." Her voice wobbled as she finished, clutching her horse harder. Natasha held her arms open in invitation, and Lillian scooted over to her. She enveloped her in a hug, not unlike how Clint had held her before.

"Darling, thank you for telling me how you feel. You can always tell me how you feel, okay? We never want to replace you. We love you so, so much." She pressed a kiss to Lillian's soft hair, breathing in the smell of her fruity shampoo. "We've always planned on having two or three kids, and you're one of them. You've made our lives so much better. You're so sweet and caring and silly. We wouldn't trade you for the world.

It will be pretty chaotic for a while before and after the baby comes. Babies are a lot of work, and we may not be able to play the same way that we do now. Soon enough, I won't be able to get up and down off the floor. Remember Ash from your playgroup? He had a hard time getting up when he was almost ready to have his baby. Things will be different, but we will always make time for you.

If there is something you want to do, or if you want to talk about how you feel, Dad or I are always here to talk. And you have Dr. Hale if you want to talk to someone else. It's going to be a big change, but we want you there with us, because we love you. You'll always be my special kid." Natasha blinked back tears of her own, squishing Lillian in a quick, tight hug. Lillian raised her hand to wipe at the tears on her mom's face, pausing to pass her the soft blanket she had tucked in her pocket.

"Don't cry, momma, you can use my blankey. I'm sorry I made you sad momma." Natasha sniffled and dabbed at her eyes.

"I'm just a little sad. I never want you to think we don't love you. But they are mostly happy tears because I love you so much." Lillian hugged her tightly.

"I'm glad you and daddy love me. I just got worried. I do like playing with Lark, though, she is really cute. But kinda stinky sometimes." She said, wrinkling her nose. Natasha laughed, ruffling her hair,

"Babies can be stinky, yeah." Lillian lit up,

"We can play games though, like we did with Ash. We can sit at the table so you don't have to get up. Or I can bring the blocks to you and daddy and we can play in your bed." Lillian beamed, hands flapping in excitement. Natasha smiled.

"Those are great ideas! We will have to see if Ash can recommend any new games. Maybe we can ask Daddy if we can go see him at the game shop tomorrow." She said. As if on cue, Clint poked his head into the room 

"What are you going to ask me?" He said with a smile. Lillian waved him in to join them and he flopped onto the floor. He growled and reached out to tickle Lillian, and they giggled and roughhoused for a moment before Lillian waved him off.

"Momma said we could get new board games to play when she can't get up as much with the baby, like Ash. She said we gotta ask you if we can go to the game store." She said, fixing her shirt where it had gotten rumpled.

"That sounds like a great plan, guys. Now I think it's time to go to bed. I'm tired." He flopped dramatically to the floor, sprawling his limbs and snoring theatrically. Lillian groaned, pouncing on him. 

"No dad, this is my room! You have your own bed!" He snored even louder and Natasha winked at Lillian.

"Well, since Daddy is sleeping here, you could come sleep in my bed." Lillian giggled and scrambled to her feet.

"Okay!" She grabbed her horse and laughed as Clint sat up.

"Hey now, that's not fair." He smiled. He held his arms open and Lillian rushed over for a hug. Natasha shuffled over and joined in, too. 

"Lillian, you'll always be our special kid. We love you." Natasha whispered as she cradled her child to her, her husband pressing near as well. Lillian snuggled deeper into the hug, pressing wet kisses to both of their cheeks. They stayed in their embrace for a moment longer, until Lillian started to wriggle, saying,

"Can we read the pigeon book tonight? Daddy can do the funny voices." She smiled up at both of them and Clint laughed. 

"Sure, why don't we get ready for bed and then we can all read." He kissed Lillian's forehead and together they got the toys cleaned up. They brushed their teeth and all got changed into pajamas before finally tucking Lillian into bed. 

Natasha sat on the foot of the bed while Clint settled in the chair by the bedside. He smiled broadly at his two favorite people before launching into a rousing rendition of Lillian's chosen book. Soon they were all laughing and pitching in, calling back to Clint's questions as he read. Soon enough it was time for bed, and Clint put the book away while Natasha tucked Lillian in. She leaned down for a goodnight hug and kiss.

"Goodnight, sweetheart. Thank you for telling me how you felt today. And thanks for letting me play with you and your horse, I had a great time." She dutifully pressed a kiss to the soft toy when Lillian held it up. Lillian smiled sleepily up at her.

"I had fun, too, momma. I'm glad we will still get to play and that you will still love me." Clint leaned down for his goodnight hug and kiss, saying,

"Of course, darling. We will always love you." He and Natasha headed to the door, blowing one last kiss before turning the lights off and closing the door.

Natasha sagged into Clint's arms and they embraced for a few long, quiet moments before heading to their own room. Natasha climbed into bed and curled into Clint's chest when he laid down. His fingers glided through her hair as he kissed her, and she returned his soft smile.

"I'm glad we all got to talk. I think it helped her to talk about it. We should mention it at her next therapy appointment, too, though, just to be sure." Clint nodded.

"I agree. I'm glad you feel better, too, y'know. It was tough seeing you all anxious." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and she smiled, leaning to kiss him. "Now let's get to bed, I have a long drive to the game shop tomorrow," He said with a laugh. Natasha joined in as she turned off the lights, and she drifted off to sleep, content.

**Author's Note:**

> Anon, I hope you enjoy the fill! It was fun to step outside my comfort zone a bit. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3
> 
> Lillian's name comes from Lillian Smith, a famous trick shooter and counterpart to Annie Oakley: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lillian_Smith_(trick_shooter)
> 
> The zebra movie that Lillian asks about is Khumba, a very cute movie about a zebra missing half of his stripes. (Cw for parental death. Why does that always happen in kids movies???). The pigeon book is "Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus!".


End file.
